Method and system for commissioning environmental sensors

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems to commission building environmental sensors are disclosed. The system include a device that will move about the environment of a building (inside and/or outside) and detect building environmental sensor devices that are installed in the environment. For each of the sensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device, the system will retrieve an identifier for the sensor device, and it will determine whether the sensor device is registered with a control system. If the sensor device is registered with the control system, the system will not automatically implement a commissioning process with the sensor device. If the sensor device is not registered with the control system, the system will automatically implement the commissioning process with the sensor device.

BACKGROUND

Most modern buildings have multiple environmental sensors positioned invarious locations. Sensors such as thermostats and other temperaturesensors, light sensors, and motion detectors may be used to measure oneor more variables about the building's status and use those measurementsto control the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning(HVAC) system, lighting systems, and other systems. In addition,security sensors such as door and window opening sensors, cameras, soundrecorders and motion detectors can be used to determine whether abuilding's security has been breached.

When new sensors are installed in a building, and periodically at othertimes such as during maintenance or upgrade events, many sensors must becommissioned before they can provide effective operation. Commissioninga sensor involves processes such registering a sensor's identifier andlocation with a central system, applying parameters of operation to thesensor (such as set points and/or conditions upon which the sensor willtrigger a signal), calibrating the sensor to ensure that it takesappropriate measurements, testing the sensor, and/or taking otheractions.

The process of commissioning sensors and related components or systemsis often expensive, and it can be unreliable. For example, when a sensorfails, or when a sensor's commissioning process is not properlycompleted, there is no easy way to identify that sensor's operation maybe compromised. This can limit the number and types of devices that canbe installed in many scenarios. For example, most buildings have onlyone temperature sensor per room, and many use a single temperaturesensor to monitor multiple rooms. Many building HVAC systems could beoperated more intelligently and efficiently if more comprehensivemonitoring data were available. In addition, a large cost in operatingbuilding HVAC systems is that of determining the relation between thesensors, the comfort of the building occupants, and the effect ofactuators on the sensors. This usually requires a period of systemidentification in which the various actuators are adjusted over a widerange to see the response of the building and the sensors to theactuators. This procedure can be disruptive to the ongoing occupantactivity. Methods that can minimized this disruption are desired.

This document describes methods and systems that are directed toaddressing the technical problems described above and/or other issues.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a system that includes an autonomous orotherwise portable electronic device is programmed to commissionbuilding environmental sensors. The portable device will move about theenvironment of a building (inside and/or outside) and detect buildingenvironmental sensor devices that are installed in the environment. Foreach of the sensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device,the system will retrieve an identifier for the sensor device, and itwill determine whether the sensor device is registered with a controlsystem. If the sensor device is registered with the control system, thesystem will not automatically implement a commissioning process with thesensor device (i.e., not without determining whether one or moreconditions are satisfied, as described below). If the sensor device isnot registered with the control system, the system will automaticallyimplement the commissioning process with the sensor device.

To implement the commissioning process the system may perform one ormore of the following for each sensor: (a) send a location of the sensordevice and the identifier to the control system; (b) transfer, to thesensor device, a token that the sensor device can use to communicatewith the control system via the wireless network; or (c) transfer one ormore or configuration parameters to the sensor device. In addition oralternatively, in the commissioning process the system may determinewhether the sensor device requires calibration by using an environmentalsensor of the electronic device to detect a first value of anenvironmental parameter, querying the sensor device for a second valueof the environmental parameter as detected by a component of sensingdevice, and comparing the first value and the second value to determinewhether the values match (in which the term “match” does not necessarilymean an exact match but which instead may include a tolerance level orthreshold discrepancy); if the values do not match, the system maydetermine that the sensing device requires calibration.

If the system includes a camera, then to detect the buildingenvironmental sensor devices the system may analyze images captured bythe camera to recognize codes that correspond to sensors in the images.Suitable codes include, for example, two-dimensional bar codes,three-dimensional bar codes, or alphanumeric codes. In addition oralternatively, the system may use an object classifier to analyze imagescaptured by the camera to identify an object that is a sensor in theimages.

Optionally, to determine the location of the sensor device, the systemmay perform one or more of the following: (a) receive images from acamera of the system, process the images to recognize a known landmarkin the images, access a map of the environment, and determine thelocation to correspond to a place of the known landmark in the map; (b)receive images from the camera, output the images on a display of theportable electronic device or of a remote control system, and receivethe location via a user interface of the portable electronic device orof the remote control system; (c) receive signals from beacons in theenvironment in which the system is moving, and using a triangulationprocess to process the signals and yield the location; or (d) implementa simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm in an autonomousmobile robotic device that caries the camera as the autonomous mobilerobotic device moves about the environment.

Optionally, the portable electronic device may query the sensor devicefor a battery level report and analyze a signal received from the sensordevice in response to the query. When the signal indicates that abattery level of the sensor device is below a threshold, the system willgenerate a low battery alert.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment in which buildingenvironmental sensors are installed.

FIG. 2 illustrates a process by which a system may commission a set ofbuilding environmental sensors.

FIG. 3 illustrates example components that a building environmentalsensor may include.

FIG. 4 illustrates example components of a commissioning device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used in this document, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art. As used in this document, the term “comprising” (or“comprises”) means “including (or includes), but not limited to.” Whenused in this document, the term “exemplary” is intended to mean “by wayof example” and is not intended to indicate that a particular exemplaryitem is preferred or required.

In this document, when terms such “first” and “second” are used tomodify a noun, such use is simply intended to distinguish one item fromanother, and such use is not intended to require a sequential orderunless specifically stated. The term “approximately,” when used inconnection with a numeric value, is intended to include values that areclose to, but not exactly, the number. For example, in some embodiments,the term “approximately” may include values that are within +/−10percent of the value.

Additional terms that are relevant to this disclosure will be defined atthe end of this Detailed Description section.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment that is a building layout withmultiple rooms 112 a . . . 112 j and a corridor 118 that leads to theentrances of each room. Any number of building environmental sensors 113a . . . 113 k that are installed in rooms, the corridors or otherbuilding areas. The sensors may be attached to or integral with: (i) awall, ceiling, floor of the room or corridor; or (ii) furniture or otheritems within the room or corridor. Alternatively, some of the sensorsmay be freestanding sensors that are not attached to any particularelement of the room or corridor. The sensors may be temperature sensingdevices, light sensors, humidity sensors, gas detection sensors, soundpressure or other audio sensors, motion sensors and/or other sensors.

A portable electronic device that provides the function of acommissioning device 101 moves through the environment and detects thevarious sensors 113 a . . . 113 k. The commissioning device 101 may be aportable computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or adedicated data collection unit. The device may be carried by a person,or it may be integral with a wearable electronic device such as anaugmented reality (AR) headset, AR eye glasses or other wearable ARdevice that includes a see-through display which allows the device togenerate and display images for the viewer to see superimposed on thereal-world environment. Alternatively, the commissioning device 101 maybe carried by or integral with a robotic vehicle that automatically (orwith human guidance) navigates the facility using a stored map and oneor more positional sensors such as one or more cameras, and radar, sonaror LiDAR sensors.

The commissioning device 101 may, in some embodiments, include a firsttransceiver that is configured to communicate with the building sensorsusing near-field communication (NFC) or a short-range communicationprotocol when the device and the sensors are within communication rangeof each other. For example, in FIG. 1 , commissioning device 101 isproximate and in the communication range of sensor 113 c. Thecommissioning device 101 also may include a second transceiver that isconfigured to communicate with an external service such as server 120via a wireless communication network 123. The wireless communicationnetwork 123 may be a cellular network in which the commissioning device101 communicates with a receiver that is outside of the building, and/oror a local area network via which the commissioning device 101communicates via one or more wireless access points 125 located atvarious locations throughout the building.

FIG. 2 illustrates a process by which a commissioning device maycommission building environmental sensors as the device moves about thebuilding's environment. The sensors may be in place in the environment,and/or the process may include installing one or more new sensors atstep 201. Installation may include adding a label or tag to an existingor new sensor, in which the label or tag includes a code that identifiesthe sensor, as will be described below. As the device moves through theenvironment (at 202), it will detect environmental sensors that areinstalled in the environment at 203. The device may detect sensors inany number of ways. For example, the device may have an informationreceiving system that includes a camera, and if so it may process imagesreceived by the camera to detect sensors that are in the camera's fieldof view. The system may do this in any suitable way, such as by knownimage recognition processes such as those that use convolutional neuralnetworks to classify images, processes that use principal componentanalysis or linear discriminant analysis, or other features. The sensoralso may exhibit a visible code on its display or on a label or tag thatis attached to the sensor. If the code contains letters or numerals, thesystem may recognize those characters using any suitable opticalcharacter recognition (OCR) process. In addition or alternatively, thesensors may include one or more recognizable codes imprinted on theirhousing, and the system may detect and parse the code to determine thatthe device is a sensor. Codes may be matrix codes, QR codes and othertwo-dimensional barcodes, three-dimensional barcodes, or alphanumericsymbols (i.e., letters and numbers), or other codes.

Alternatively, the sensor may have a transmitter that emits anidentifying signal, using a protocol such as radio frequencyidentification (RFID) transmission, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, orother near-field or short-range communication protocols. The sensingdevice may include a receiver with an antenna and other components thatare configured to detect the signal according to any of variouscommunication protocols, and it may parse the signal when received toextract the device's identifier from the signal.

The sensing device's code or signal may include a unique identifier forthe sensor device, such as a serial number. The commissioning device maydetect the unique identifier (204) in the code, and it may use theidentifier to determine whether the sensor device is registered with acontrol system (at 205). To do this, the sensor may access a locallystored database of registered devices and determine whether the IDcorresponds to an ID that is in the database. Alternatively, the systemmay transmit the ID to a remote server that contains a database ofregistered devices, and it may query the remote server to return anindication of whether the ID corresponds to an ID that in the database.If the system determines that the ID does not correspond to an ID in thedatabase at 205, it will initiate a commissioning process for the sensorat 206. Otherwise, the system may not automatically initiate acommissioning process; instead, may either continue moving and seekingother sensor devices or determine whether other conditions meritre-commissioning the sensor device at 212, examples of which will bediscussed in more detail below.

If the system cannot detect a unique identifier for the sensor device,or if the device's unique identifier is not recognized, then whendetermining the ID for the device at 204 the commissioning deviceoptionally may assign a new ID to the sensor. In applications in whichthe device electronically communicates with the sensor, the device itmay transmit the new ID to the sensor. The sensor may then store the IDin its memory or firmware. In applications in which the device does notcommunicate with the sensor by sending signals to the sensor, the devicemay output a prompt or transmit a communication to an external computingdevice, with a message indicating that a label or tag with the ID shouldbe installed on the sensor.

The commissioning process may include any of various steps. For example,if the sensor is not already registered with the control system, then at207 the commissioning device may retrieve, generate, or otherwise accessa unique access token that the sensor can use to communicate with thecontrol system, and the commissioning device may pass the token to thesensor by transmitting the token to the sensor. The token may be, forexample, one that the commissioning device retrieves from the controlsystem, or one that the commission device generates according to atoken-based authentication protocol that the control system uses.

As part of the commissioning process, the system may register the sensordevice with the control system by sending sensor information to thecontrol system at 210. The sensor information may include, at a minimum,the sensor's ID. In addition, the commissioning device may determine alocation of the sensor at 209 and it may include the location data inthe sensor information that it sends at 210. The commissioning devicemay receive the location data in one or more of the signals that thesensor emits, or as part of the code that the commissioning device'scamera detects. Alternatively, the commissioning device may determinethe sensor's location at 208 using any suitable location determinationprocess, such as:

-   -   by receiving images from a camera, processing the images to        recognize a known landmark in the images, accessing a map of the        environment, and determining the location to correspond to a        place of the known landmark in the map;    -   by receiving images from a camera, outputting the images on a        display of the commissioning device or on a remote control        system, and receiving, via a user interface of the commissioning        device or the remote control system, the location;    -   by receiving signals from beacons in the environment in which        the commissioning device is moving, and using a triangulation        process to process the signals and yield the location;    -   by receiving location data in signals via a global positioning        system sensor of the commissioning device; or    -   implementing a simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm        (SLAM) as the device moves about the environment.

The commissioning process also may include querying the sensor at 207for one or more parameters such as battery level, operating time, senseddata over a period of time, or other information. The system may includesome of this data in the information that it sends to the control systemat 210. Optionally, the commissioning device and/or the control systemmay analyze some of the information to determine whether the sensorrequires maintenance. For example, the system may query the sensor for abattery level report, and it may analyze the response to determinewhether the sensor's battery level is below a threshold. If the batterylevel is below a threshold, or if other returned data indicates that thesensor requires maintenance, the system may generate and include analert in the information that it sends to the control system, and/or itmay output the alert on a local user interface of the commissioningdevice.

As another example, the commissioning process may include calibration ofthe sensor. For example, if the commissioning device includes anenvironmental sensor such as a temperature, humidity or light sensingdevice, then when querying the sensor at 207 the commissioning systemmay request the current values of any or all of the environmentalconditions that both the sensor and the commissioning device arecurrently sensing. If the values detected by the sensor and thecommissioning device do not match each other, then the commissioningdevice may transmit a message to the sensor that causes the sensor toinitiate a calibration process, a message to the control systemindicating that calibration is required, or both, (In this context,“match” may not require a precise match; values may be considered tomatch if they are no more than a specified threshold margin of errorfrom each other.)

The commissioning process also may include transmitting configurationdata to the sensor at 211. As noted above, the configuration data mayinclude a unique ID that the control system will use to recognize thesensor. The configuration data also may include configuration parametersfor operation of the device such as one or more set points such astemperature settings, on/off times, or other settings or operatingparameters. The commissioning device may retrieve the configuration datafrom local memory, or from the control system via a communication link.

As noted above, when a sensor device is not registered with the systemthe commissioning device will automatically initiate a commissioningprocess at 206. It should be noted that in this situation“automatically” could mean without user input; or it could also includeoutputting a prompt or sending a query to a remote server indicatingthat commissioning is required; actual commissioning may begin uponreceipt of a response to the prompt or query which indicates thatcommissioning should proceed. In addition, if the sensor device isregistered with the control system at 205, then at 212 the system maydetermine whether the sensor device requires re-commissioning. Thesystem may use any suitable rule set to determine this, such as bydetermining that recommissioning is required if: (a) the sensor devicewas last commissioned more than a threshold period of time ago; (b) thesensor device received a software or firmware update since it was lastcommissioned; (c) the sensor device received maintenance since it waslast commissioned; (d) the sensor has been moved to a differentlocation; or (e) other criteria are satisfied.

FIG. 3 illustrates example components that an environmental sensor 113may include. The components include a sensing element 301, memory 302, aprocessor 303, a communication system 304, and a power source 305.Optionally, the sensor also may include a user interface 306 such as adisplay, an audio speaker and/or one or more indicator lights fordisplaying measured parameters, status messages (such as messagesindicating that maintenance is required), or other messages.

If sensor 113 is a temperature sensor, the sensing element 301 mayinclude, for example, a thermocouple, bi-metallic thermostat, thermistoror resistive temperature detector (RTD). If sensor 113 is a lightsensor, the sensing element 301 may include, for example, aphoto-emissive or photoconductive cell, a light dependent resistor, aphoto-voltaic cell, a photojunction device such as a photodiode orphototransistor, or other device. Other types of sensors are possible.If sensor 113 is a humidity sensor, the sensing element 301 may include,for example, a capacitive sensor that includes a thin strip of metaloxide between two electrodes. If sensor 113 is a gas detection sensor,the sensing element 301 may include, for example, an electrochemicalsensor with sensing electrodes that are capable of measuring carbonmonoxide or other gases, an infrared transmitter and receiver thatcompares transmitted light to reflected and received light to determinewhether differences between the two light streams indicate that ahydrocarbon gas may be present, or a catalytic sensor with a coil thatoxidizes when it comes in contact with a combustible gas. If sensor 113is a motion sensor, the sensing element 301 may include, for example, apassive infrared sensor transmitter and receiver that comparestransmitted light to reflected and received light to determine whether amoving object is interfering with the light paths. Other types ofsensors may be used.

The power source 305 of the sensor 113 may include, for example, abattery, a solar panel, or a wire or other conductor that leads to anexternal power supply.

When a sensor includes a memory 302, the sensor may include a device orsegment (such as a memory sector) that stores data captured by thesensing element, along a device or sector that stores programminginstructions that the sensor's processor 303 will use to manage the datastored in the memory. The communication system 304 of the sensor mayinclude a transmitter and/or receiver for wireless communication, acommunication port configured to receive a USB, HDMI, or any other typeof wired communication link, or a combination of any of these designedto send to and/or receive data from other devices. When a wirelesscommunication system is available, the other devices may be arranged inan Internet-of-Things (IOT)-type arrangement using a relativelylow-power, short-range data transmission protocol such Bluetooth,Bluetooth low energy (BLE), Zigbee or Z-wave; an NFC protocol such asone that employs RFID tags; or another open or proprietary transmissionprotocol. In some embodiments, the system also may include a transceiverthat is configured to communicate with a central or remotely controlledsystem via a local Wi-Fi network. Regardless of the protocol used, thesensor's programming instructions may direct the processor to arrangethe data to be transmitted or otherwise transferred according to theprotocol.

As noted above, some sensor devices may include a housing on which acode 307 such as a two-dimensional barcode, a matrix barcode (as shown),a three-dimensional barcode, or another code may be imprinted, whetherdirectly on the housing or on a label or tag that is affixed to thehousing.

While this document focuses on applications for commissioning anenvironmental sensor 113, the methods and systems can also apply toother items of equipment that include some or all of the features shownin FIG. 3 . For example, instead of an environmental sensor, the methodsand systems can be used to commission HVAC equipment such as heaters orair conditioners, production sensors or manufacturing equipment inmanufacturing facilities, print devices in a print shop or officeenvironment, and/or other devices. The equipment could also include oneor more networked personal comfort devices such as personal fans, orsmall individual or heating units. The equipment could also includeother devices such as remotely controlled window coverings such asshades or blinds. When the occupant adjusts these devices, theoperational setpoint to achieve personal comfort can serve as apersonalized measure of building comfort. For such applications, thename of the appropriate device would be substituted for the word“sensor” or “environmental sensor” in the relevant parts of thisdescription.

FIG. 4 illustrates example components of a commissioning device 101. Thecommissioning device will include a processor 401 and a memory withprogramming instructions 402 for instructing the processor to performthe methods described in this document. The commissioning device 101also may include a data store 403 for storing set points and/or otherdata that the device will transfer to proximate building environmentalsensors. A first communication system 406 may include an antenna orother transceiver, a communication port, or both and be configured toreceive the data by communicating with the proximate sensors via NFC ora short-range communication protocol as described above. A secondcommunication system 407 may include a transceiver that is configured totransfer data to an external service, such as via a Wi-Fi or cellularnetwork. Additional communication devices may be included, each of whichis configured to receive data transmitted via a transmission protocolthat is different than those provided by the first and secondcommunication systems. The data collection device also may include auser interface 409 for outputting information to the device's userand/or receiving information from the user. By way of example, the userinterface 409 may include a display device on which the system mayoutput a map, navigation instructions or other information. If thecommissioning device is a wearable AR device, the user interface 409 maybe a see-through display device. In such a situation, the system may usea camera 411 of the commissioning device to capture images thatcorrespond to the AR device's field of view as the wearable AR device ismoved through the environment, and it may identify and recognize sensorsin the field of view in real-time as the AR device moves, usingrecognition processes such as those described above in the discussion ofFIG. 2 .

The user interface 409 also may include a speaker via which the systemmay audibly output navigation instructions or other information. In someembodiments, the data collection device also may include one or moreenvironmental sensors 410 such as a temperature sensor, light sensor,humidity sensor, or gas detection sensor. As noted above, thecommissioning device also may include one or more cameras 411 forcapturing images of the environment as the device moves through theenvironment.

In some embodiments, the data collection device may be a component of,or carried by, a mobile robotic device. A mobile robotic device willinclude motion control hardware components 408 such as wheels and amotor that, in response to commands from the processor, can cause thedevice to move through the building. The robotic device may include anautonomous motion control system that generates and implements atrajectory for the robotic device with minimal or no human intervention.Alternatively, the robotic device may receive navigation commands from ahuman operator via a local or remote user interface. A robotic devicewill store map data 404 in a memory or receive map data from an externalservice, and it will have one or more onboard proximity sensors 405 thatare configured to detect features that are near the robotic device andwithin the environment in which the robotic device is traveling. Exampleproximity sensors 405 include a global positioning system (GPS)receiver, a camera, and/or radar, sonar or LiDAR sensors. The roboticdevice's processor 401 will process the map data 404 and the datareceived from onboard sensors to determine the robotic device's locationwithin a facility and cause the robotic device to move throughout thefacility. Any robotic devices and navigation processes that are nowknown or developed in the future may be used, such as those described inU.S. Pat. No. 10,562,184, the disclosure of which is fully incorporatedinto this document by reference.

Terminology that is relevant to this disclosure includes:

An “electronic device” or a “computing device” refers to a device orsystem that includes a processor and memory. Each device may have itsown processor and/or memory, or the processor and/or memory may beshared with other devices as in a virtual machine or containerarrangement. The memory will contain or receive programming instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device toperform one or more operations according to the programminginstructions. Examples of electronic devices include personal computers,servers, mainframes, virtual machines, containers, gaming systems,televisions, digital home assistants and mobile electronic devices suchas smartphones, fitness tracking devices, wearable virtual realitydevices, Internet-connected wearables such as smart watches and smarteyewear, personal digital assistants, cameras, tablet computers, laptopcomputers, media players and the like. Electronic devices also mayinclude appliances and other devices that can communicate in anInternet-of-things arrangement, such as smart thermostats,refrigerators, connected light bulbs and other devices. Electronicdevices also may include components of vehicles such as dashboardentertainment and navigation systems, as well as on-board vehiclediagnostic and operation systems. In a client-server arrangement, theclient device and the server are electronic devices, in which the servercontains instructions and/or data that the client device accesses viaone or more communications links in one or more communications networks.In a virtual machine arrangement, a server may be an electronic device,and each virtual machine or container also may be considered anelectronic device. In the discussion above, a client device, serverdevice, virtual machine or container may be referred to simply as a“device” for brevity. Additional elements that may be included inelectronic devices that are data collection devices are discussed abovein the context of FIG. 4 .

The terms “processor” and “processing device” refer to a hardwarecomponent of an electronic device that is configured to executeprogramming instructions. Except where specifically stated otherwise,the singular terms “processor” and “processing device” are intended toinclude both single-processing device embodiments and embodiments inwhich multiple processing devices together or collectively perform aprocess.

The terms “memory,” “memory device,” “computer-readable medium,” “datastore,” “data storage facility” and the like each refer to anon-transitory device on which computer-readable data, programminginstructions or both are stored. Except where specifically statedotherwise, the terms “memory,” “memory device,” “computer-readablemedium,” “data store,” “data storage facility” and the like are intendedto include single device embodiments, embodiments in which multiplememory devices together or collectively store a set of data orinstructions, as well as individual sectors within such devices. Amemory may contain programming instructions that are configured to causea processor to execute any of the actions described above in thisdocument. A computer program product is a memory device with programminginstructions stored on it.

In this document, the terms “robotic device” and “robotic system” referto an electronic device or system that includes a processor, programminginstructions, and one or more physical hardware components that, inresponse to commands from the processor, can move with minimal or nohuman intervention. Through such movement, a robotic device may performone or more automatic functions or function sets. Examples of suchoperations, functions or tasks may include without, limitation,operating wheels or propellers to effectuate driving, flying or othertransportation actions, operating robotic lifts for loading, unloading,medical-related processes, construction-related processes, and/or thelike. As noted above, a robotic device may include an autonomous motioncontrol system that generates and implements a trajectory for therobotic device with minimal or no human intervention. Alternatively, arobotic device may receive navigation commands from a human operator viaa local or remote user interface. Example robotic devices may include,without limitation, delivery robots, autonomous vehicles, drones andother autonomous robotic devices.

In this document, the term “transceiver” refers to a device thatincludes an antenna and other components that can transmit data toand/or receive data from one or more other devices via a wirelesscommunication path.

In this document, the terms “communication link” and “communicationpath” mean a wired or wireless path via which a first device sendscommunication signals to and/or receives communication signals from oneor more other devices. Devices are “communicatively connected” if thedevices are able to send and/or receive data via a communication link.“Electronic communication” refers to the transmission of data via one ormore signals between two or more electronic devices, whether through awired or wireless network, and whether directly or indirectly via one ormore intermediary devices.

The features and functions described above, as well as alternatives, maybe combined into many other different systems or applications. Variousalternatives, modifications, variations or improvements may be made bythose skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to beencompassed by the disclosed embodiments.

1. A system for commissioning building environmental sensors, the systemcomprising: a portable electronic device comprising a processor, areceiver, and a computer-readable medium containing programminginstructions that are configured to cause the processor to, as thedevice moves about an environment: detect, via the receiver, each of aplurality of building environmental sensor devices that are installed inthe environment; for each of the sensor devices, in response todetecting the sensor device: determine an identifier for the sensordevice, determine whether the sensor device is registered with a controlsystem, if the sensor device is registered with the control system, donot automatically implement a commissioning process with the sensordevice, and if the sensor device is not registered with the controlsystem, automatically implement the commissioning process with thesensor device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions toautomatically implement the commissioning process comprise instructionsto: determine a location of the sensor device; and send the location andthe identifier to the control system.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinthe instructions to implement the commissioning process further compriseinstructions to: identify a token from the control system that thesensor device can use to communicate with the control system via awireless network; and transfer the token to the sensor device.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein: the receiver comprises a camera; and theinstructions to detect each of the building environmental sensor devicescomprise instructions to: analyze images captured by the camera torecognize codes in the images, wherein the codes comprise one or more ofthe following: two-dimensional bar codes, three-dimensional bar codes,or alphanumeric codes, and upon detection of one of the codes, parse thedetected code to extract the identifier for the sensor device from thedetected code.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein: the receiver comprisesa camera; and the instructions to detect each of the buildingenvironmental sensor devices comprise instructions to analyze imagescaptured by the camera to identify an object that is a sensor device inthe images.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein: the receiver comprises acamera; the system comprises a wearable augmented reality devicecomprising a see-through display; and the instructions to detect thebuilding environmental sensor devices comprise instructions to: causethe camera to capture the images to correspond to a field of view of thesee-through display in real time as the wearable augmented realitydevice is moved through the environment, and determine whether any ofthe sensor devices appear in the field of view of the see-throughdisplay in real time.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein: theinstructions to detect each of the building environmental sensor devicescomprise instructions to: analyze signals received via the receiver,wherein the signals comprise one or more of the following: radiofrequency signals, near-field communication signals, or optical signals;and upon detection of one of the signals, parse the detected signal toextract the identifier for the device from the detected signal.
 8. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the instructions to determine the location ofthe sensor device comprise instructions to perform one or more of thefollowing: receive images from a camera of the system, process theimages to recognize a known landmark in the images, access a map of theenvironment, and determine the location to correspond to a place of theknown landmark in the map; receive images from the camera, output theimages on a display of the portable electronic device or of a remotecontrol system, and receive the location via a user interface of theportable electronic device or of the remote control system; or receivesignals from a plurality of beacons in the environment in which thesystem is moving, and use a triangulation process to process the signalsand yield the location.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein theinstructions to implement the commissioning process further compriseinstructions to: detect, via an environmental sensor of the portableelectronic device, a first value of an environmental parameter; querythe sensor device for a second value of the environmental parameter asdetected by a component of sensing device; and compare the first valueand the second value to determine whether the first and second valuesmatch; and in response to determining that the first and second valuesdo not match, determining that the sensor device requires calibration.10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a mobile roboticdevice.
 11. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions to determinethe location comprise instructions to implement a simultaneouslocalization and mapping algorithm as the autonomous mobile roboticdevice moves about the environment.
 12. The system of claim 1, whereinthe instructions to automatically implement the commissioning processwith the sensor device further comprise instructions to: determine oneor more configuration parameters for the sensor device; and transmit theone or more configuration parameters to the sensor device.
 13. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising instructions to, for each of thesensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device: query thesensor device for a battery level report; analyze a signal received fromthe sensor device in response to the query; and when the signalindicates that a battery level of the sensor device is below athreshold, generate an alert.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein theinstructions further comprise instruction to, when the system determinesthat the sensor device is registered with the control system: determinewhether the sensor device requires re-commissioning; and when the systemdetermines that the sensor device requires re-commissioning,implementing the commissioning process with the sensor device.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the instructions to determine whether thesensor device requires re-commissioning comprises determining one ormore of the following: determining whether the sensor device was lastcommissioned more than a threshold period of time ago; determiningwhether the sensor device received a software or firmware update sincethe sensor device was last commissioned; determining whether the sensordevice received maintenance since the sensor device was lastcommissioned; or determining whether the sensor device has been moved toa new location.
 16. A method of commissioning building environmentalsensors, the method comprising: by an electronic device comprising aprocessor and a receiver, as the electronic device moves about anenvironment: detecting, via the receiver, each of a plurality ofbuilding environmental sensor devices that are installed in theenvironment; for each of the sensor devices, in response to detectingthe sensor device: retrieve an identifier for the sensor device,determine whether the sensor device is registered with a control system,if the sensor device is registered with the control system, do notautomatically implement a commissioning process with the sensor device,and if the sensor device is not registered with the control system,automatically implement the commissioning process with the sensordevice.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein automatically implementingthe commissioning process comprises one or more of the following, foreach sensor: sending a location of the sensor device and the identifierto the control system; transferring, to the sensor device, a token thatthe sensor device can use to communicate with the control system via thewireless network; transferring one or more or configuration parametersto the sensor device; determining whether the sensor device requirescalibration by: using an environmental sensor of the commissioningdevice to detect a first value of an environmental parameter, queryingthe sensor device for a second value of the environmental parameter asdetected by a component of sensing device, comparing the first value andthe second value to determine whether the first and second values match,and when the first and second values do not match, determining that thesensor device requires calibration.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein:the receiver comprises a camera; and detecting each of the buildingenvironmental sensor devices comprises: analyzing images captured by thecamera to recognize codes that correspond to sensors in the images,wherein the codes comprise one or more of the following: two-dimensionalbar codes, three-dimensional bar codes, or alphanumeric codes, oranalyzing images captured by the camera to identify an object that is asensor in the images.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein determiningthe location of the sensor device comprises performing one or more ofthe following: receiving images from a camera of the system, processingthe images to recognize a known landmark in the images, accessing a mapof the environment, and determining the location to correspond to aplace of the known landmark in the map; receiving images from thecamera, outputting the images on a display of the portable electronicdevice or of a remote control system, and receiving the location via auser interface of the portable electronic device or of the remotecontrol system; or receiving signals from a plurality of beacons in theenvironment in which the system is moving, and using a triangulationprocess to process the signals and yield the location, or implementing asimultaneous localization and mapping algorithm in an autonomous mobilerobotic device that caries the camera as the autonomous mobile roboticdevice moves about the environment.
 20. The method of claim 16 furthercomprising, by the portable electronic device: querying the sensordevice for a battery level report; analyzing a signal received from thesensor device in response to the querying; and when the signal indicatesthat a battery level of the sensor device is below a threshold,generating an alert.
 21. The method of claim 16 further comprising, bythe portable electronic device upon determining that the sensor deviceis registered with the control system: determining whether the sensordevice requires re-commissioning by determining whether the sensordevice was last commissioned more than a threshold period of time ago,determining whether the sensor device received a software or firmwareupdate since the sensor device was last commissioned, determiningwhether the sensor device received maintenance since the sensor devicewas last commissioned, or determining whether the sensor device has beenmoved to a new location; and when the system determines that the sensordevice requires re-commissioning, implementing the commissioning processwith the sensor device.